Yesterday one of the major print media in Nigeria sought my opinion on the value of social media to business. This discussion is published today in the paper’s business page. I am happy that social media is beginning to show up in the radar of our business operations. But as we know the bandwagon effect of many businesses rushing to embrace the platform will affect Returns on investment they can all derive. Social media is helping business owners shape perception. Like one writer says ‘Perception is all there is. There is no reality only perceived reality’ Therefore we must learn to manage perception in social media through a stand out initiative.
Most brands join the bandwagon of social media application to business promotion with an erroneous impression that people are bound to listen to their marketing pitches. The naked truth is that people are damned tired of listening to such stuffs. Customers are tired of being marketed to. They are seeking for solid relationship that will lift them up, make them make better and informed decision.
Since social media provides an equalizing platform to express and connect with targeted audience through valuable content, the amount of information available has compelled audience to either close their eyes or ears to some business initiative in this regard. To really stand out in social media effort, business must rethink the strategy of holding up money, merchandise as major factor to building solid relationship, impact.
To stand out, I have come up with four unique factors that will enable any brand stand out in its social media effort. I do not claim to know it all but strongly believe these will work any day.
1. Compelling content: content is king in social media. Never underestimate the power of great and compelling content that will help your target audience excel, look great and smart among their peers. Whatever platform a brand chooses, content drives traffic. Great content propels word of mouth advertising that will spread the buzz about the brand any day any time.
2. Creativity: I like to define creativity as the open difference you make in turning something common to an extra ordinary experience. How creative are you in the dissemination of your content. Do you focus on text or add audio, video, great visual design that is appealing to the audience? I have since discovered creative video adds a lot of credibility to content creation and I may soon be incorporating this if my logistic is perfected.
3. Clients/target collaboration: A tree does not make a forest is an age long cliché. To stand out in social media it will be good to find a community of admirers, followers, target who will be willing to help spread the buzz. To become viral, your community collaboration will help a lot.
4. Consistency: whatever you do, you do not stand out by once in a blue moon appearance on the radar. To stand out, you need persistence, commitment, consistence innovation, trial and error. I have not seen an outstanding social media expert who had not heard his/her own share of failure.
Let me conclude with Allen says’ opinion when he wrote ‘create the site you have been looking for, write like you would like t be written to, sell like you would want to be sold to, talk like you would like to be talked to, deal like you would like to be dealt with, create for others what you would like created for you and excite others the way you would like to be excited. I guess these are golden rules of social media that make your brand stand out or what do you think? Write your thought in the comment section.
Today many brands are yet to see the impact of running a blog can have on their performance. Many brands still believe that blogs are just for small kids or any brand that just want to join the bandwagon, plays ‘me too’ game. What an individual do not know will rob him of its value. Blogs are gradually becoming a positioning tool that helps some brands to stand out when properly done. There is no denying the fact that great blogs are products of strategic goal, planning, dedication, commitment, research, reading, and listening among other factors. Content is key and optimization of the blog, content is also a great work.
I have been asked several times why do I think Twitter holds any benefits for Nigerian and African brands. The reason to some is that the population of Nigerians and Africans on twitter is still negligible compare to the western world. The concerns Ihave noticeds on the faces of those who asked such question has made me to conclude that many do not want to pay the price Twitter requires to be successful.
Everyday gives me an opportunity to learn and observe people around me. I learn from people who have been successful and those who are still on the radar of success as well as from a complete fool. In fact there is no one on the surface of the Earth that qualifies for such appellation as ‘complete fool”. The more we dig deep the more we find the wisdom in the lifestyle of someone we call fool. The kind of wisdom we may learn may not necessarily be what works but what may not work so one can distance his ways from such lifestyle.
Attention deficit disorder is a coinage of the new age. No one seems to have time for anything except those things that are of utmost importance to them. No one is extremely interested in your brand except if it adds value to them. The noise level is not even helping the matter. The noise level online today is just to high but that does not nullify the fact that everyone has a chance of making meaningful impact if one has taken time to know how to join the conversation.
In about two weeks ago, I had the opportunity of anchoring a reunion meeting for my Alma matter where I did my undergraduate studies. As the custom is, during most reunion meetings, each person has opportunity to introduce him/herself to the group. The first thing that dawn on me was that many still do not still have a sellable personal elevator speech in this age and time. Personal selling speech is ‘insanely’ important today because it tells people at a glance who you are.
Crisis is part of life. We may be able to avoid some through adequate planning, strategy. Crisis explosion is now given a wing to fly online, brand must add knowledge. Recent cases are there to access. Crises do strike many brands but it affects unprepared brands more than the ever ready brands. Interestingly most crises do not discriminate against any industry. If it is peculiar challenge of all it does mean it can reach brands in that industry. Every crisis has the potential to damage the reputation of a company.
Social media has moved from a new device to the future of every brand. Many international communities are annexing the opportunity provided by social media to gain visibility and build strong communities. Even though our environment is just growing its internet audience most of which are using social media with majority on face book; proper understanding of social media helps in no small measure but we guide against violating the rules. Brands as well as brand drivers also need to know how to annex social media opportunity. As a leading brand, social media expert in 
